The Many Faces of Harley Quinn

As a fan of super villain the Joker as well as a fan of the BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES show as a kid, I was intrigued when Harley Quinn first made her appearance in the episode “Joker’s Favor.� Bruce Timm’s design for the Joker combined with Mark Hamill’s voice made a creepy but compelling combination. From my perspective, the thought of a woman in close quarters with the Joker was just too horrifying to imagine. The episode entitled “Harley and Ivy� blew my mind because the idea of anyone being attracted to the Joker and having warm and fuzzy feelings for him was bizarre on so many levels.

What drew my interest even more was the way the Joker engaged with Harley and was willing to humor her - up to a point and as long as it suited his purpose. When he called her “pumpkin� and she called him her “puddin’” for the first time I, like many other fans, wondered exactly what went on in their relationship that we didn’t get to see. There had never really been a hint of the Joker being involved with a woman sexually except for his past, as described in Alan Moore’s THE KILLING JOKE, and in the graphic novel BATMAN: GOING SANE. That episode also was the start of the friendship between Harley Quinn and the villainess Poison Ivy � a friendship which the DC Universe has incorporated into just about every title in which Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy appear.

In the “Harley and Ivy� episode, Harley and Poison Ivy are two women bonding during a fun crime spree. In later adaptations, there is often a maternal vibe coming from Poison Ivy toward Harley or that of an older sister. I prefer those interpretations to the occasionally (hinted at) sexualized versions of their relationship, because I like the message that two women can be extremely close without things having to become sexual. In the classic graphic novel BATMAN ADVENTURES: MAD LOVE, written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm, Harley’s origins and how she came to become one of The Joker’s henchmen are explained. As a psychiatrist at the infamous Arkham Asylum, Harley first met and was seduced by the Joker. As a Harley Quinn fan, I loved the artwork and certain elements of the story, but was never totally satisfied with that story’s explanation of how Harley got with the Joker and why she stayed for so long, and put up with his abuse. While it isn’t uncommon for people employed in some aspect in the criminal justice system to be taken in by savvy criminals, I was disappointed that Harley was an educated woman and so easily taken in by the Joker’s sob story and manipulations.

Based on her behavior in the animated series and in more recent comic book issues, I always imagined Harley as a street kid who got caught up in crime to survive and then was pulled in by the Joker’s charisma. I hate seeing Harley as a victim, so when, in the episode “Harlequinade�, Harley started fighting back and asserting herself with the Joker - I cheered. You see this more aggressive side to her in the episode “Trial� as well. I was ecstatic when Harley Quin was finally added to the BATMAN comic book canon. Some of the early Harley Quinn appearances, for me, failed to capture Harley’s goofiness and sense of whimsy � which are the very things that so many fans love about the character.

I think with those early stories there was a learning curve for comic book writers who may not have watched the early animated series and not been previously familiar with the character. I liked the new energy writers brought to the character in her series that lasted from 2001 - 2003. Although her past with the Joker followed her, I like how she kind of had a fresh start in 2011 with DC’s “Suicide Squad� series. In the “Suicide Squad� books, all of the main characters have a dubious past and she’s her own person rather than just “the Joker’s crazy ex- girlfriend/flunky�.

When talking about Harley Quinn’s evolution, writer and character co-creator, Paul Dini describes the Joker as being like a loser ex-boyfriend who pops up at random in Harley’s life to cause trouble. I partially agree with that evaluation, but I also think there is still a special erotic charge when Harley and the Joker are on the page together. When the Joker makes an appearance in the “Suicide Squad� series at the same time his “Death of the Family� story line is running across all the BATMAN books, their interactions are electric. I like to think that Harley realizes that it’s over for her and the Joker, but he will always be a delicious forbidden fantasy for her. She has grown and gotten over her obsession but it is fun for her to daydream.

In the newest Harley Quinn series, written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, Harley has some of the whimsy and quirkiness of the character from the animated series, but with a little more depth as well. In this incarnation, Harley has what I think fans always wanted for her � friends, a mixed group of cohorts, and a way of living life on her own terms. I love that this series by Conner and Palmiotti has Harley helping people in her neighborhood and taking care of herself as well. I still prefer her original outfit, but I’m happy with where this beloved character has ended up.